Brumating or signs of illness?

[laurahill749]

Hi all - I am posting about my 20(ish) month old bearded dragon Felix. I got him as a hatchling at the end of March 2020, and he is most definitely a boy. For the sake of time, I am going to spare the tank details (I have posted on multiple occasions and is tank has been deemed acceptable and adequate by many professionals in this forum). He has proper lighting and a proper diet, and he has been to the vet within the last 6 months who confirmed everything is A-OK in his tank, body, and behaviors. I live in the midwest where the temperature is dropping rapidly, and I know brumation season is upon us. With that being said, juvenile bearded dragons don't typically brumate (and he did not prior to this) so this is my first ever experience with brumation (I am a first time bearded dragon owner). He has been very lethargic the last few weeks, but he has not moved an inch the last two days. He lifts his head and is awake some of the time, but he does not move or show any interest in food or water. Prior to this, he was slowing down his eating drastically but still consuming a few superworms here and there (and has not had a bowel movement since). I have so many questions about proper care during this time, and there is so much conflicting information online. Please bear with me:

Should I still turn his lights on each day? Should he get the same amount of light, less, or none at all?

Should I still be offering food? I read it can be very problematic if they eat before brumation because of the impaction risk, but I have also read to keep offering it.

Should I move him ever? into the basking area, out of his tank for some free time, etc.?

I have to travel next week, and I have no choice but to bring him with me (he already has a tank where we are going). What is the best way to travel during brumation without disturbing him?

Tips on how to ensure there are no serious health problems while he is brumating? All signs of brumation are also signs of illness which scares me so much.

Any other advice on how to make Felix as comfortable as possible during this time would be so helpful. Thank you in advance! Grateful for this community. I attached a picture of him from when he was in better spirits

 

[KarrieRee]

In order to rule out brumation but it is common for them this time of year please go over the UVB how old is it and where in the tank is it? Sometimes incorrect basking temps and UVB will simulate brumation behavior- lethargic behavior is not good - so we can determine it is brumation please go over that again and I am going to post a article on brumation
https://www.beardeddragon.org/articles/practical-tips-healthy-brumating-bearded-dragon/

 

[laurahill749]

In order to rule out brumation but it is common for them this time of year please go over the UVB how old is it and where in the tank is it? Sometimes incorrect basking temps and UVB will simulate brumation behavior- lethargic behavior is not good - so we can determine it is brumation please go over that again and I am going to post a article on brumation
https://www.beardeddragon.org/articles/practical-tips-healthy-brumating-bearded-dragon/

Thank you for your reply, Karrie! Both the UVB and the heat lamp are less than one month old and sit on top of the tank. I use a 150W bulb for heat and take temperatures using a probe thermometer. It usually sits at about 95 degrees Fahrenheit, which I know some say is low, but my vet is very comfortable with that temperature and doesn't think I should try to raise it. I have tried to raise it in the past using different bulbs but to no avail.

 

[KarrieRee]

Ok the uvb is a T 8 or T 5 and the screen is a fine mesh or wide hole type? For it to sit on top the screen MUST be a wide hole - the screen will block out 30% of the rays-- and the distance should be 8-10 inches directly above the basking decor

 

[laurahill749]

Ok the uvb is a T 8 or T 5 and the screen is a fine mesh or wide hole type? For it to sit on top the screen MUST be a wide hole - the screen will block out 30% of the rays-- and the distance should be 8-10 inches directly above the basking decor

The UVB is a T5 HO 10.0 UVB and the screen is a finer mesh - I have been working on figuring out another solution where I can hang the lights. I can't seem to find a wide hole top anywhere, as I have heard that concern elsewhere throughout this site too. I know this needs to be changed, but I don't think that is the root cause of his behaviors right now. What do you think?

 

[CooperDragon]

Since he is almost 2 years old, brumation could certainly be in play here. Have you been monitoring his weight? I suggest keeping a log of his weight and check in every week or so. If he is in brumation, he will have slowed his metabolism and his weight should stay fairly stable. If his weight is stable, it's OK to let him be so he can sleep. You can also pick him up to move or weigh him etc. I usually wait for days in which they have their head up and are somewhat alert (they still act groggy). I've seen no long term harm from doing this. You can offer a little bit of food, but he isn't likely to want it. When he does eat, poops will be much less frequent since his system is slowed down. I haven't seen negative effects from offering small amounts of food. It's a good idea to offer water though. When you have him out to weigh him, drip some water on his nose to lick up in order to keep him hydrated. Aside from that it's just kind of a waiting game.

As far as travel goes, he is likely to be OK if left on his own, but if you put him in a carrier or box with some blankets or towels he is likely to just bunker down and sleep on the trip. I doubt it will cause any problems to move him. During brumation I keep my lights on the same schedule, but provide comfortable and reasonably dark hides to sleep in.

 

[KarrieRee]

You can use this stuff to hang inside the tank it works great - its like a Velcro strap cut into strips the wrap around your fixture
https://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-15-ft-Cable-Ties-Hook-and-Loop-Spool-Black-10375/304220195

 

[laurahill749]

Since he is almost 2 years old, brumation could certainly be in play here. Have you been monitoring his weight? I suggest keeping a log of his weight and check in every week or so. If he is in brumation, he will have slowed his metabolism and his weight should stay fairly stable. If his weight is stable, it's OK to let him be so he can sleep. You can also pick him up to move or weigh him etc. I usually wait for days in which they have their head up and are somewhat alert (they still act groggy). I've seen no long term harm from doing this. You can offer a little bit of food, but he isn't likely to want it. When he does eat, poops will be much less frequent since his system is slowed down. I haven't seen negative effects from offering small amounts of food. It's a good idea to offer water though. When you have him out to weigh him, drip some water on his nose to lick up in order to keep him hydrated. Aside from that it's just kind of a waiting game.

As far as travel goes, he is likely to be OK if left on his own, but if you put him in a carrier or box with some blankets or towels he is likely to just bunker down and sleep on the trip. I doubt it will cause any problems to move him. During brumation I keep my lights on the same schedule, but provide comfortable and reasonably dark hides to sleep in.

Thank you so much for your thorough response! I have not been monitoring his weight, but I am definitely going to take your advice. I have a small update which is that today his behavior was very different from what he has shown me the last few weeks. He walked into the basking area and even ate some worms. I am going to keep a close eye on him the next few weeks. Thank you again for all of your help!

 

[laurahill749]

You can use this stuff to hang inside the tank it works great - its like a Velcro strap cut into strips the wrap around your fixture
https://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-15-ft-Cable-Ties-Hook-and-Loop-Spool-Black-10375/304220195

Thank you so much! I will go grab some of those!